Task lighting is lighting supplementary to general ambient lighting to provide additional illumination of a work surface, such as, for example, a work bench or a counter top. Work surfaces located under cabinets or shelves will have much of the ambient lighting blocked out. Therefore, a task light is necessary to adequately illuminate those surfaces. Also, many times the ambient lighting is insufficient to provide adequate illumination of a work surface, and, therefore, a task light is necessary to supplement the ambient lighting.
Ideally, a task light must perform two major functions: (1) it must increase the overall illumination level on the work surface, and (2) it must produce a glare-free visual environment. In addition, the ideal task light must have other attributes, such as a low profile, high light output and efficient optical system.
Prior task light designs incorporate one or two fluorescent lamp tubes in lengths ranging from 9 inches to 48 inches. The lamp was either exposed or was mounted in an enclosure having a clear lens, a prismed lens or an "egg-crate" baffle. Such task light fixtures are typically mounted under cabinets or shelves or are suspended above the work surface, and extend laterally along most of the length of the work surface. Such fixtures usually provide adequate illumination, but do not address the problem of glare control. When such fixtures are located directly in an angular line with the eye, objectionable reflective glare will be experienced. This is annoying and tiring to the viewer.
Although reflectors and louvers have long been used in lighting fixtures, prior designs have never been able to achieve both major functions of a task light. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,591,251 teaches the use of vertical baffles arranged in a typical "egg-crate" configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 2,683,799 teaches the use of both angled reflectors and vertical louvers with prismatic surfaces which gradually taper down along the length of the louver. U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,001 also teaches the use of vertical louvers to difuse the light. The configuration disclosed in a latice configuration at specific dimensions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,710 is very similar to U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,001 but is not as specific in describing the latice configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,660 also teaches the use of an angled reflector. British Pat. No. 944,201 teaches the use of angled louvers of prismatic form arranged vertically, similar to U.S. Pat. No. 2,683,799. None of the prior art devices achieve a controlled, glare-free illumination pattern.